WHY "FINDING DORY" MIGHT BE A DISASTER!

The announcement that "Finding Dory" was going to be released in late 2015 was, to say the least...polarizing.  Fans of "Finding Nemo" (and really who isn't that has a normal, functioning heart capable of love?) probably had two things entering the minds:

  1. "Dory's getting her own spin off! That's what I've been waiting for my whole life!" or
  2. "Dory's getting her own spin off? Wasn't "Nemo" mostly about Dory and Marlin's relationship anyway?"
Personally I'm leaning towards the second reaction.  In my list of the five greatest Pixar characters, Dory came in as a strong runner-up to all-time favorites Woody and Buzz.  Voiced by the unbeatable, hysterical Ellen DeGeneres, audiences left "Nemo" with a bucketful of new, delightful characters like Bruce the devilish shark, Crash the perpetually relaxed turtle, and our amnesiac friend who provided much of the heart to the movie.  Regular viewers of DeGeneres' talk show will know that she's been pushing for a Dory sequel almost as soon as "Nemo" came out in 2003.

When I say 2003 it takes me back to...well, third grade.  In all honesty "Nemo" didn't leave a huge impression on me as a youngster, only through repeated viewings did I truly appreciate its wit, heart and effervescent charm. As I've also said when "Nemo" was re-released last year in my review of it, "Nemo" isn't just an animated great...it's a cinematic great, really a technical achievement...notice how realistic the water was when the fish ensemble traveled through its depths.  It's an American classic, and here's my biggest fear.

I realize "Cars" wasn't the greatest Pixar flick ever (some would argue it was the weakest until 2011) but when "Cars 2" rolled around like a sputtering lemon, it inadvertently tarnished not only the "Cars" legacy, but Pixar's legacy of churning out outstanding films.  Why was this?  They put a likable sidekick (Mater) in the driver's seat...and it was not a good result. I'm just afraid Dory's forgetful shtick is going to run dry by the end of an hour and a half.  Prove me wrong Pixar, but for now I'm on shaky ground if I want to go back undersea to revisit familiar faces.

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